March 13, 2020

The Oberlin Review March 13, 2020

Established 1874

Volume 148, Number 18

Faculty and staff distributed packing boxes to students in the Root Room in Carnegie Building beginning Friday morning. Students in College housing are required to vacate campus by Monday at noon. Box distribution will continue 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.

Photo by Nathan Carpenter, Editor-in-Chief

COVID-19 Outbreak Continues, College Moves to Remote Campus Nathan Carpenter Editor-in-Chief Katie Lucey News Editor In an email sent to the campus community Thursday afternoon, President Carmen Twillie Ambar announced that today will be the last day of classes prior to spring break and that students should plan to leave campus by noon on Monday, March 16. The decision is meant to help contain the spread of the novel coronavirus — known as COVID-19 — following the discovery of five confirmed cases in nearby Cuyahoga, Stark, and Trumbull Counties.

Students should not expect to return to campus for the remainder of the semester, with some exceptions.

According to President Ambar, most international students will remain on campus due to challenges with international travel, but still need to submit a petition in order to do so.

All domestic students who hope to remain on campus after Monday at noon must also petition. Students will hear back about their petitions on a rolling basis, and by 10 a.m. Saturday morning at the latest, according to an email sent Thursday afternoon by Vice President and Dean of Students Meredith Raimondo.

According to Raimondo, administrators have yet to finalize their logistical plan for the small number of students that will remain in College housing.

“We’re trying to focus on the decisions that we have to make [now],” Raimondo said. “I think it’s likely that we will consider relocating people to apartment-style housing so they have the option of using a kitchen if they prefer. … That will depend on the assessment of what housing is available and the condition of houses.”

Raimondo also confirmed that the College will not issue any recommendations or directives to students living in off-campus housing in Oberlin.

Given the general absence of students on campus, classes will be conducted remotely when the semester resumes after spring break. Faculty are being trained in best practices for moving their courses to a digital platform.

For courses that cannot easily be converted, namely some lab and performance arts courses, faculty will truncate the course, and students will receive academic credit for the first module. In order to ensure that students stay on track to graduate, faculty are being encouraged to

develop second-module courses.

The relatively low figure of confirmed cases in Ohio might be due to limited testing capacity; however, the Ohio Department of Health announced on Thursday its estimates that approximately one percent of Ohio’s population, or 100,000 people, is currently infected with COVID-19.

On Monday, after the first three cases were discovered in Cuyahoga County, Governor Mike DeWine declared a statewide state of emergency. The following day, he recommended that Ohio colleges and universities consider moving their classes online. By Thursday, schools across the state — including The Ohio State University and The University of Dayton — had announced that they would move to remote classes.

As of publication, more than 128,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported globally, resulting in more than 4,700 deaths. Within the United States, more than 1,600 cases have been confirmed, including 40 deaths. The World Health Organization officially declared the crisis a pandemic on Wednesday.

Rapidly-Evolving Timeline Oberlin’s contingency plan underwent significant changes over the course of the week as the administration reacted to a rapidly-evolving health crisis.

On Tuesday afternoon, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences David Kamitsuka presented a mitigation plan to College faculty and staff. He emphasized that Oberlin would remain open and that faculty would continue to work, but that they should prepare to move their classes to Zoom, a video conferencing platform, following spring break. This information was relayed to students later that evening via an email signed by President Ambar.

Raimondo followed up with a Wednesday evening email to students with specific instructions about how to proceed regarding spring break and to prepare for the possibility of a remote campus. She advised students to spend Thursday and Friday, March 19–20 packing up their living spaces using boxes provided by the College, and to be prepared to depart campus by noon on Saturday, March 21.

Raimondo also announced that students who would like to remain on campus after the departure deadline must submit a digital petition in order to do so. While the

timeline has changed since Raimondo’s initial email, the petition to stay on campus remains active.

On Thursday afternoon, under the guidance of governmental health agencies, the administration announced its plans to move all courses online for the remainder of the semester and require students to leave campus. In an early afternoon meeting with faculty, Kamitsuka cited the significant increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases across the country since the original Tuesday announcement as a reason for the administration’s evolving plan.

General Lorain County Outlook There are currently no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Lorain County. Still, according to Dave Covell, Lorain County health commissioner, residents should remain vigilant and follow updates from his office, the Ohio Department of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updates specific to the county can be found at www.loraincountyhealth.com.

Covell added that initially Ohio was not a high-priority area due to the fact that passengers from China, where the outbreak began, were not traveling directly into the state.

Now, given the growing number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state, Ohio will be monitored more closely over the coming weeks.

According to Interim Chief of Staff David Hertz, the College’s decision to send students home early and suspend in-person classes for the remainder of the semester was made with these recent developments in mind and in close collaboration with Covell’s office. “[Lorain County Public Health] said because of the shift to community spread, … they would support our decision to move forward, and it made sense for us to take this action,” Hertz said.

Covell further advised students to be mindful while making spring break travel plans. Both the College and government agencies are advising against non-essential international travel. Covell added that, should residents choose to travel internationally, they should be prepared to be quarantined upon their return.

“Anyone coming back from a high-risk area is going to get screened when they come back into this country, and they’ll probably be in quarantine for two weeks,” he said.

See Students, page 2

CONTENTS NEWS

OPINIONS

THIS WEEK

ARTS & CULTURE

03 Students Discuss UAW Concerns with Trustees

05 As COVID-19 Brings Fear, Disruption, Obies Rally to Support Community

06–07 COVID-19 By The Numbers

08 Canceled Productions: Art in a 12 Seasons Canceled Amid Time of COVID-19 COVID-19 Outbreak

03 Congressional Candidates Campaign in Oberlin

05 Oberlin: We Are Still Your Concern

The Oberlin Review | March 13, 2020

10 Amer Hasan, Third-year Conservatory Clarinetist

SPORTS

12 Hype Music You Can Wash Your HandsTo

oberlinreview.org facebook.com/oberlinreview TWITTER @oberlinreview INSTAGRAM @ocreview

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Students Given Monday Departure Deadline, Admissions Impacted

Schools around the country announced that they would be moving from in person classes to online this past week.

Graph by Katie Lucey, News Editor

Continued from page 1

Leaving Campus President Ambar’s Thursday email provided instructions for how students should plan to leave campus by noon on Monday. Only students that have received approval from the College to stay on campus due to “extraordinary circumstances” will be allowed to remain.

According to Raimondo, such exemptions for extraordinary circumstances extend to international students who could encounter challenges with their visas, as well as to students with housing insecurity or those who would potentially be unsafe if they left campus.

“The primary goal is to de-densify campus as quickly as possible, but we recognize that for some students, their Oberlin housing may be the only housing they have access to, or if they have family related housing, there may be safety issues there,” Raimondo said. “We certainly want to be mindful of both of those.”

Raimondo added that students who face financial challenges in leaving campus would not qualify to remain in College housing on the basis of the financial challenges alone. She encouraged students to make their financial concerns known through a separate form emailed to students.

“We are intending to identify students for whom travel issues are a problem and work with them,” Raimondo said. “In other words, somebody who doesn’t have a plane ticket, doesn’t have a plan, we’re going to find a way to help them [find] a way to travel and a way to pay for it before they have to leave their housing.”

After students move out by noon, all campus facilities — including the libraries and athletic facilities — will close to students, but faculty and staff will still have access to them, according to information shared by Kamitsuka at the Thursday afternoon faculty meeting.

President Ambar emphasized that the

College’s plans for the transition are still in flux.

“We don’t know yet how we might be able to support students,” President Ambar said. “What I would encourage students to do is to make those concerns known to the Dean of Students, and as we find our way through the complexities we’ll try to figure out what our options are.”

She acknowledged that some students will face challenges as a result of the decision to empty campus.

“This is going to impact people in unequal ways,” President Ambar said. “So the solutions themselves are necessarily going to be unequal. We should just probably say that up front because we’re probably not going to be able to treat everybody the same, because everybody’s situation is going to be different.”

Raimondo said that the College has not yet decided how to proceed with regard to potential reimbursements for room and board costs.

“There have been no final determinations yet,” Raimondo said.

“Obviously, there are significant challenges to the College budget created by this whole situation, but we’re also mindful of the implications for folks who pay for housing and dining that they may not be using now. We want to make sure that we take a good, hard look at that to see what seems fair and possible. I would [ask students to] be patient and give us a moment to figure it out, [and] we’ll be able to update people shortly.”

Students who need to vacate their campus housing by Monday can access packing boxes in the Root Room in Carnegie Building through the weekend.

Details about box policies and access times can be found in Raimondo’s Thursday email to students.

Remote Learning According to President Ambar, the decision to move to remote learning for the

The Oberlin r eview Mar. 13, 2020 Volume 148, Number 18 (ISSN 297–256) Published by the students of Oberlin College every Friday during the fall and spring semesters, except holidays and examination periods. Advertising rates: $18 per column inch.

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Editors-in-Chief

Nathan Carpenter Katherine MacPhail Managing Editor Ananya Gupta News Editors Anisa Curry Vietze Katie Lucey Opinions Editor Jackie Brant This Week Editor Nico Vickers Arts Editors Aly Fogel Jaimie Yue Sports Editor Khalid McCalla Cont. Sports Editors Jane Agler Zoë Martin del Campo Photo Editors Mallika Pandey Sophie Payne Senior Staff Writers Alice Koeninger Ella Moxley

remainder of the semester was made in an attempt to provide clarity to the campus community, and also to acknowledge that the College did not have a viable path to safely bring students back to campus after the break.

“That’s what really drove the decision to make the decision now, so that there was clarity for all of us, despite the fact that we all knew how painful that [decision] would be,” President Ambar said. “It’s one of the harder decisions that I [have] had to make in my time in these types of roles.”

During his presentations to College faculty throughout the week, Kamitsuka acknowledged that the transition to digital classrooms would not be easy, and that some courses — such as those with laboratory or performance components — would not translate well to an online format. Kamitsuka discussed truncating these courses into half-credit, first module-only classes.

Despite the potential for specific courses to be cut short, President Ambar said that her administration understands the importance of students staying on track to graduate.

“What we don’t want to happen for students is that this disruption itself be the factor that keeps them from graduating — either because they can’t complete their coursework or because they’re limited in their ability to connect with their faculty,” President Ambar said. “We want to try to create the types of rules and framework so that we help students graduate, right?

I don’t know what all those things will be, but that’s the mindset.”

In order to help students continue to complete their academic requirements, faculty are being called upon to design second-module courses focused on studying COVID-19 from different angles and across different disciplines. According to President Ambar, the plan to encourage faculty to study the pandemic arose from conversations with Kamitsuka about how Oberlin could rise to the challenges of the moment.

“We began to think about, ‘Well, what is Oberlin?’” President Ambar said. “It’s about rigor. It’s about taking complex problems and breaking them down into the component parts and making them more than the sum of their parts. … And so we said, ‘Is there a way to think about this particular virus [across] all the different academic disciplines?’”

The second-module courses have yet to be announced, and more information regarding options for students whose other courses may be cut short will be available soon. In an additional attempt to support students academically through the transition, the deadline both to declare the pass-or-no-pass option and withdraw from a full-semester course has been extended to the end of the semester.

Raimondo added that the College is planning to work with students who may face connectivity difficulties participating

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in digital classes. Students should register their concerns with the Dean of Students’ office via the form emailed by Raimondo, and solutions will be made on a case-bycase basis.

Admissions The Office of Admissions is also taking steps to adjust its spring recruitment plan in light of the COVID-19 spread.

The school’s primary admitted students event, All Roads Lead to Oberlin, has been canceled. The three All Roads weekends, which typically include a series of campus events and overnight visits, were scheduled to take place April 9–10, 16–17, and 23–24.

In addition to the All Roads cancelation, a visit event for high school juniors that had been scheduled for today was canceled.

Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Manuel Carballo expressed that admissions offices at colleges and universities across the country are facing similar challenges, calling adjusting admissions strategies in response to the health crisis, “a shared pain across higher ed.”

According to Carballo, Admissions is currently developing alternative digital recruitment strategies in collaboration with other campus offices and organizations. As of Thursday morning, his plan was to partner with student workers in Admissions and Communications to spend next week developing digital tour materials. It is not currently clear how this plan will proceed with students now being required to depart campus Monday.

Carballo said that one of the key challenges of a digital recruitment strategy is recreating the intangible moments and interactions that prospective students experience during campus visits.

“The challenge, then, is, how do you then get these more informal hang out groups where it’s not just going to be an hour of, ‘Let’s talk about housing and how that works,’ but [instead] ‘Who are you, what are you wearing, are we listening to the same kind of music, and am I going to be excited to join that community?’” he said.

For now, Carballo is optimistic that the COVID-19 outbreak will not have an outsized impact on Oberlin’s admissions as compared to peer institutions.

“I think we’re all going to have our version of [what we’re] worried about,” he said. “But again, if it was a local Oberlin pandemic where it was just us and everybody else was fine, I’d be a lot more stressed at this point. It’s more [that] we’re all looking at making these admitted student programs hybrid in some way.”

President Ambar acknowledged that moving the campus visit experience online could have ripple effects across the institution in the wake of its structural budget deficit.

See Ambar, page 4

Corrections:

To submit a correction, email managingeditor@ oberlinreview.org.

Students Discuss UAW Concerns with Trustees

Students, staff, and community members rally at Wilder last week in support of union jobs at Oberlin.

Photo by Sofia Herron Geller

Katherine MacPhail Editor-in-Chief Student activists met with members of the Board of Trustees last week to denounce the College’s announcement that they are considering outsourcing up to 108 United Auto Worker jobs. In the meeting, students expressed their concerns and presented petitions that had been signed by students, alumni, and the broader Oberlin community.

Elsa Schlensker, College fourth-year and chair of the Student Labor Action Coalition, was one of the students who presented.

“The overall message that students hoped to impress upon the Board of Trustees was that this issue of outsourcing isn’t and can never be just about the numbers,” Schlensker wrote in an email to the Review. “This is an issue about what our institution values and what we’re going to commit to as we approach our 200th anniversary.”

Chair of the Board of Trustees Chris Canavan said that while pro-UAW activism has inspired conversation, trustees maintain their view that considering outsourcing these positions is the right decision.

“There have been lots of discussions [among trustees] sparked by the reaction, not just of students on campus, but by alums and by others,” Canavan said. “These discussions have not led any trustee to reconsider whether or not this is the pathway forward. It is the pathway forward. We knew that it was going to be difficult.”

Schlensker feels disappointed that student efforts did not change the course of the trustees’ decision making.

“We were saddened to hear that, despite our commitment to dialogue and working through issues that affected our community, the board appeared to suggest that they would not consider appealing the decision made by College administration,” Schlensker wrote.

Canavan explained that he has been encouraged by the tenor of the conversations that the College has been able to hold with the Oberlin community.

“Our discussions are about how difficult these kinds of changes are, and how proud we are to be a part of the Oberlin community because we’re capable of making difficult decisions and of having differences of opinion without making assumptions about intent and ascribing all sorts of malice,” Canavan said.

President Carmen Twillie Ambar maintains that considering outsourcing the UAW jobs is the right decision for the College. She spoke about colleges that have had to take serious measures

due to financial concerns, and she restated her commitment to ensuring that Oberlin does not end up in a similar position.

“I’m under no illusion how painful and difficult this is for our community — it’s painful for me to have to think about these things,” President Ambar said. “But the truth of the matter is this will never get any easier than it is today, despite how difficult this is. And to have to come and say to this community, five years from now, three years from now, and say ‘We have to cut 30 percent of our budget, and we have to cut it by August?’ ... This feels radical now — I know that. But that will feel like we are eliminating who we are. And that’s the complication.”

President Ambar stated that the decision to consider outsourcing was a difficult choice to make.

“You don’t come to considering this lightly,” President Ambar said. “You don’t come to this possibility without ... caring about what this might mean for someone who might not have their position. … If you asked me what is the thing that I think about the most, it’s really that. … And so part of this work is to try to find a way through it if we can, and even if we can’t, to try to find a way for us to provide as much support as we possibly can — even if we ultimately end up in a space where those positions are outsourced.”

As the majority of students have been instructed to leave campus this Monday in response to growing concerns over the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, any continuing UAW conversations between College administrators and departing members of the Oberlin community will have to occur remotely.

Congressional Candidates Campaign in Oberlin Ella Moxley Senior Staff Writer Despite fears over the novel coronavirus — or COVID-19 — community spread, Democratic candidates running in Ohio’s fourth Congressional district have ramped up their campaign efforts. Some candidates, including Shannon Freshour and Jeffrey Sites, have increased their presence in Oberlin in recent weeks.

Freshour, Sites, and Mike Larsen will all be on the ballot during Tuesday’s contest for the Democratic congressional nomination. The winner will face incumbent Republican Congressman Jim Jordan, the founder of the far-right House Freedom Caucus who has represented the district since 2007. Independent candidate Chris Gibbs also plans to run in the general election against Jordan.

Sites, a warehouse assistant manager and U.S. Army veteran, joined Oberlin College students at the March 5 rally in support of the United Automobile Workers union.

Sites felt it was essential to stand in solidarity with workers because his father was a UAW member, and other members of his family are also union workers.

“It just seemed right for me to go up there, and I was very happy to be up there with them and show the support,” Sites said. “The outpouring from the students is just tremendous, and I was very proud of them to see that kind of turnout for people who work there at the university.”

Freshour’s campaign manager Matt Bell also attended the March 5 rally. For Freshour, it was important for her campaign to show support for union workers.

“This is a job that I’m applying for that is about helping people and about helping the working class and about helping students,” Freshour said. “That’s why it’s so important to me in this capacity as a candidate to be able to bring visibility to it. … I’m really proud to stand with Oberlin students and the UAW in this fight.”

Freshour opened a campaign office this week on East College Street in Oberlin.

“We’ve gotten such positive feedback from students and the Oberlin community that I wanted to make it easier if students wanted to get involved in our campaign,” she said.

The Oberlin Review | March 13, 2020

Both Freshour and Sites have found that it can be difficult to campaign in Oberlin and the surrounding areas.

Sites works full time and it takes him two to three hours to travel to Oberlin from his home in Lima, which is in the western part of the district. His campaign has made use of other tactics such as TV ads and mailers.

Fair districting activists, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, have previously levied legal action against the state and called upon legislators to amend the gerrymandered map.

The district, nicknamed the “Duck District,” stretches approximately 103 miles north to south and 135 miles east to west. Freshour has spent a lot of time driving from each end of the district.

“The other really big challenge so far is just how massive the district is,” Freshour said. “It’s 14 counties that spread from almost the county that touches the Indiana state line to Oberlin and Elyria. It goes down near Columbus. It goes up to Lima. There is no way to go from north, east, south, west and go in a straight line and stay in the district.”

As the candidates travel around the district in preparation for next week’s election, they are also adapting their campaigns in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

President Carmen Twillie Ambar announced Thursday that today is the last day of classes before spring break and that only students with extenuating circumstances will be allowed to stay on campus after Monday at noon.

“Our campaign is taking the COVID-19 virus as a serious issue and we are taking precautions leading up to the March 17 election,” said Matt Bell, Shannon Freshour’s campaign manager. “We are coordinating with the Ohio Board of Elections and the Ohio Democratic Party. Our grassroots campaign relies heavily on person-to-person contact, but we will be canceling all pre-scheduled canvass launch events this weekend.”

Next week’s elections will be held on Tuesday, March 17. Most students’ polling place will be Philips gym. Voting will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Students who are leaving campus before Tuesday can vote early at the Lorain County Board of Elections at 1985 North Ridge Road, Lorain, OH. More information is available at www. loraincountyelections.us.

Security Notebook Thursday, March 5, 2020 12:49 a.m. Campus Safety officers and the Oberlin Police Department responded to a call for assistance at Barrows Hall. Upon arrival, officers located a student ill from alcohol consumption. The student was transported to Mercy Allen Hospital for treatment.

9:28 a.m. Allen Memorial Art Museum security staff reported a semi-truck stuck in the mud on Willard Court across from the dock drive. A tow truck was called for removal of the semi. Facilities staff were notified.

4:30 p.m. A student reported the possible theft of their coat and wallet from the ’Sco. The coat is a black L.L.Bean coat. The wallet is blue in color and contained approximately $60 in cash and miscellaneous cards and items. The area was checked, but the items were not located.

Friday, March 6, 2020 12:26 a.m. A staff member reported a suspicious male individual outside of Mudd Center asking for money. The individual was last seen riding a bicycle toward Wilder Hall.

Officers responded, and the individual was last seen riding east on Lorain Street.

1:27 p.m. Officers responded to a motor vehicle accident that took place on College Street by the Rice Hall parking lot. No injuries were reported, and the vehicles involved sustained minor damage. The Oberlin Police Department responded.

9:37 p.m. Officers and the Oberlin Fire Department responded to a fire alarm on the second floor of East Hall. Burnt popcorn caused the alarm. The area was cleared and the alarm was reset.

Saturday, March 7, 2020 11:15 p.m. Officers and the Oberlin Fire Department responded to a fire alarm on the second floor of Asia House. The alarm was activated by smoke from cooking. While checking the activated detector, firefighters reported marijuana and paraphernalia in plain view. Items were confiscated and picked up by the Oberlin Police Department for disposal.

Sunday, March 8, 2020 5:25 a.m. Officers transported an ill student from a South Professor Street address to Mercy Allen Hospital upon request.

4:20 p.m. An Allen Memorial Art Museum security officer observed graffiti on the east exterior wall of the Ellen Johnson Gallery.

The letters were either scratched in the wall or written with pen.

Monday, March 9, 2020 2:15 a.m. Officers were advised of a trash can fire outside near the Burton Hall parking lot. The fire was extinguished by officers. A work order was filed to replace the trash can.

11:17 p.m. An officer on patrol observed graffiti on a sewer lid in the area between the Carnegie Building and Bosworth Hall. The letters were written in a white substance. A work order was filed for removal.

Tuesday, March 10, 2020 11:26 a.m. A grounds manager reported property damage at a Village Housing Unit on Cedar Street. Unknown people had turfed the lawn. The estimated cost of the damage is unknown.

4:15 p.m. A student reported the theft of their wallet from the Biggs Commons area in Stevenson Dining Hall. The wallet is Vera Bradley brand, has an estimated value of $30, and contained various cards, a driver’s license, and a health card. A check of the area was made, but the wallet was not located.

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Drug Exposure Reactions Raise Questions in Scientific Community

First responers stand outside of Walmart in October following the hospitalization of six people.

Photo courtesy of Cleveland 19 News

Anisa Curry Vietze News Editor Testing done by the Lorain County Crime Lab determined last month that the substance that caused seven people to experience overdose-like symptoms in October was crystal methamphetamine, and not fentanyl, as previously suspected.

The ramifications of this result still echo through the community of police officers, emergency medical technicians, and Mercy Allen Hospital nurses who were affected.

The original incident — which occured on Oct. 29, 2019 — involved a call about a suspicious individual in the Walmart parking lot. Police arrived, and after one of the officers made contact with the individual, the officer began to feel ill and eventually used the emergency overdose treatment Naloxone on herself.

The individual in question also became ill and an ambulance was called. One of the EMTs assisting in the ambulance started exhibiting some symptoms, and once the patients were admitted to the hospital, several nurses and healthcare workers also became sick.

“There were seven people that were exhibiting symptoms and six [of them] received treatment — including the initial suspect and the police officer,” President of Mercy Health Allen Hospital Charlotte Wray told the Review late last year (“Unknown Substance Causes Emergency at Walmart, Mercy ER,” Nov. 1, 2019). “I’m not at liberty to get into the specifics of the clinical situation, but the people exposed to the substance may be feeling extremely weak, dizzy, or confused. They may lose consciousness and stop breathing. It is very serious.”

Following the incident, Oberlin

Police Department Chief Ryan Warfield suspected that the synthetic opioid fentanyl was involved. Accounts of emergency responders becoming ill after exposure from fentanyl — a drug that can be up to 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — have been prevalent on local news channels across the country since at least 2016. Ultimately, only methamphetamine, not fentanyl, was found at the scene.

Many in the scientific community believe there is little evidence that shows that these experiences across the country are a result of contact with any drug.

“Methamphetamine is not absorbed well through the skin and you would need a lot of it in order to inhale it and get sick,” said Diane P. Calello, MD, executive and medical director of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System and associate professor of emergency medicine at Rutgers Medical School. “So coming upon a person who has been drug intoxicated — even if it’s in a closed space like a car — is not likely to sicken a first responder or law enforcement.”

An article published by the Journal of Medical Toxicology on Jan. 20 reviewed over 200 news stories from the past five years about emergency responders becoming ill because of accidental exposure to drugs. After examining the reports, the researchers found zero of the reports included symptoms or route of exposure that was consistent with drug toxicity.

“At the end of the day, people who use fentanyl, heroin, meth — they’re not just rubbing it on their skin, they’re injecting it, snorting it, doing other things, just because this isn’t possible,” said Ryan Marino, MD,

who works as an emergency physician and medical toxicologist at University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center.

Still, according to Calello, the experiences of emergency responders in Oberlin and across the country are not pretend or made up.

“A lot of times what contributes to these symptoms is what I call a physiological response to feared exposure.” Calello said.

“I’m not saying it’s a panic attack. I’m saying if you found yourself in a situation that you believed to be an imminent threat to your life — some people have a very strong, actual bodily response to that. The heart races, you feel nauseous, that makes you dizzy and then you pass out — you get legitimately sick, but it’s not a response to the drug. It’s a response to feeling like you’ve just been exposed to something that’s going to kill you.”

This response is not limited only to fear of fentanyl exposure and has been referred to in medical literature as the ‘nocebo effect.’ Medical experts agree that this effect can incite measurable bodily changes.

“You can think of it like ... kind of the negative side of placebo effect,” said Marino. “So if you think of placebo as like treating something using nothing at all, nocebo is causing symptoms with nothing at all.”

Warfield and others at the Oberlin Police Department are still skeptical of this possibility.

“They were at the hospital, they were actually throwing up, they actually felt faint.” Warfield said. “I know how powerful the mind is, but your mind has to be pretty strong to convince you of those symptoms.”

Thomas D. Stuber, President and CEO of the non-profit organization The LCADA Way which specializes in alcohol, drug and gambling addiction treatment, said that it’s possible that there was a substance involved that was not tested for, or came back with a false negative.

“I anticipate that the first responders have been adequately educated and — certainly in our county — dealt with enough situations that you’re not going to have, I guess you’d call it a psychosomatic response; I think that in fact that if they have a response, I would take it as real,” Stuber said.

According to Calello, though, even

individuals with high levels of training might experience a physiological response — through no fault of their own.

“There’s been so much concern by the law enforcement and first responder community that they can be poisoned if they come into contact with a drug scene,” Calello said.

And while small amounts of exposure to fentanyl or methamphetamine might not be dangerous, the idea that they could be certainly is. Reactions to feared exposure can be genuinely terrifying or even traumatic. Because of this, according to Harper, education and stopping the spread of misinformation is extremely important.

“The people that are reporting it have a responsibility not just to report something that’s sensational, but to report something that’s factual and speak to an educated person about what would be causing those symptoms and could those symptoms be related,” said Cincinnati Drug and Poison Information Center Operator Dave Harper.

“That would help to debunk a lot of these fictitious reports.”

Still, police officers across the country have received official training stating otherwise, and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration released warnings to police officers in 2016 stating that fentanyl exposure was dangerous to police even in very small doses.

To medical experts like Marino and others, this type of misinformation within the emergency responder community is concerning because it could harm patients and people suffering an overdose.

“The people who do have a real overdose from fentanyl, heroin, carfentanil, whatever, we don’t want to delay showing up to the scene because we’re worried that they’re contagious or that there’s something in the air or around them that will affect the people there,” said Marino.

For people who are worried about coming into contact with dangerous drugs, Marino recomends carrying Naloxone.

This treatment is shown to be effective against drug overdoses and can work as a placebo, counteracting the nocebo effect.

According to Calello and Marino, counteracting the misinformation about drug exposure through education and ballenced reporting could help keep overdose victims and first responders alike safer going forward.

Ambar Acknowledges Disruption of Developing COVID-19 Outbreak Continued from page 2

“It’s actually a pretty daunting thing, because we know that the campus visit makes such a big difference,” President Ambar said. “It’s not just daunting because [you need] to totally reshape your admissions strategy. It’s also daunting because … we need to make our enrollment targets.”

Athletics Student athletes will be asked to leave campus at the same time as other students. All athletic practices and competitions for the remainder of the semester are canceled. Additionally, athletic facilities will be closed to students beginning Monday, March 16 at noon. These facilities will remain open to faculty and staff.

More detailed information pertaining to Athletics is covered in the Sports section.

Student Response Some students have expressed concerns over the potential financial and logistical implications of the College’s rapid dismissal strategy, which occurred on a much shorter timeline than was initially announced Tuesday. Students quickly organized ways to help each other in the face of mounting uncertainty.

On Tuesday, students began circulating a mutual aid spreadsheet with separate tabs for food, housing, storage, and transportation needs, among other asks and offers.

Students created an additional spreadsheet to organize

4

rideshares to the Lorain County Board of Elections in advance of the Ohio primary election on Tuesday, March 17 — one day after the majority of students will need to leave campus. In order to vote early, students must present either identification issued by the state of Ohio or provide the last four digits of their Social Security number. It is not necessary to present the utility bill issued by the College to vote early.

Many graduating students feel particularly disheartened about the situation, and have expressed disappointment over the abrupt end to their time on campus on social media. President Ambar said she is mindful of the impact that the transition to a remote campus will have on students.

“I want students to know that I really understand why they’re sad, because — particularly for the seniors — it’s just disrupting what is a really special time,” she said.

President Ambar added that senior administration has not made any final decisions concerning whether and in what form Oberlin will move forward with commencement ceremonies.

Looking Ahead While national COVID-19 testing capabilities remain limited, capacity is growing and updates are coming on a daily basis. On Thursday, news broke that the Cleveland Clinic had made significant progress in developing stronger testing capabilities.

According to Tom Mihaljevic, CEO and president of Cleveland Clinic, the ability to test on-site will help

local cases to be diagnosed more quickly. Still, given the anticipated volume of patients, those with no symptoms will not be tested, even if they potentially have been exposed to the virus.

Despite potential breakthroughs in testing capability, the rate of the outbreak continues to grow rapidly across the country and world. According to the CDC, there is currently no COVID-19 vaccine or drug available.

President Ambar is hopeful that, despite the difficulty of the present moment and the sadness of many students — particularly graduates having their semester cut short — some silver linings will emerge. She spoke about meeting older alumni who shared tragic and traumatic experiences during their time on campus, and emphasized the bond that facing the unknown and frightening can create, even years later.

“There’s a part of me that, while I’m really sad about what this will mean for students [in their] second semester senior year, I also know that it’s going to shift some things for them that will be profound, and based on my experience, this shift will be profound in really positive ways,” President Ambar said. “What I would ask students to do, even in their sadness about it, is to begin — once they can put that sadness in the right place — to try to find what is going to be deeply moving [toward] the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”

To stay updated on the evolving COVID-19 situation nationally, students and community members can monitor updates from the CDC and their local public health departments.

OPINIONS March 13, 2020

Established 1874

Oberlin: We Are Still Your Concern Nico Vickers This Week Editor I am perfectly aware that this is an impossible situation. Oberlin College and the City of Oberlin do not have the infrastructure, facilities, staff, or resources to deal with an outbreak of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, and it is true that it is best to act quickly in unpredictable situations such as the spread of disease.

However, it’s impossible not to take into account how devastating these changes are for many students at this school given their personal circumstances.

For some students, going home and completing remote education is an inconvenience. Their lives aren’t drastically changed. They will go home and do their coursework from bed in their pajamas. Maybe they’ll be relieved from some of the pressures of school and find better support systems than they have on campus. Good for them. I wish every Oberlin student had that waiting for them in the wake of this crisis.

But for a lot of students, especially those who are low-income, people of color, LGBTQ+, disabled, mentally ill, or have unstable home environments, this is a nightmare.

So where are the resources for these people? Who’s talking to them about their options in this panicked time?

To this point, the administration doesn’t have good answers for students who don’t have access to WiFi, computers, software, or proper learning environments at home. The outlook for students who face these challenges or have particular learning disabilities is bleak. However, I believe that the College is working on this across the board, because it does affect a great amount of people. Without learning, Oberlin isn’t a college, and I am confident the school will find a path forward.

What is concerning is that, for some students, leaving campus means that they will become financially responsible in ways that they aren’t prepared for. Some students have to find a job immediately in order to pay for food, travel, and other living expenses now that they have lost the security of being housed and fed by their college. What’s more, the College will not be refunding students who are sent home for the semester for room and board. And if, as according to rumors, class meeting times will be kept consistent, scheduling difficulties could hinder the ability of students to work even further. There is the unfortunate reality that some students may have to put their education on hold, maybe indefinitely, to support themselves financially during this time.

So where’s the support — especially since we aren’t being reimbursed for room and board? For some students, that means that they are suddenly financially responsible for taking care of themselves twice over! This is unacceptable. I truly believe that the College has the responsibility to do whatever it takes to ensure that its students are adThe Oberlin Review | March 6, 2020

equately taken care of during this time — even if it seriously damages the financial vitality of this institution. The future is uncertain, but right now, Oberlin, your students need you.

Others have to deal with unstable home environments, and going back home unexpectedly means that students are exposed to responsibilities and stressors that they didn’t have to deal with at college. This can look like abuse, caregiving responsibilities, food insecurity, and unsuitable living conditions. Oberlin meets 100 percent of demonstrated financial need, which means that for a lot of students, going to college allowed them to live at a standard of living that they had never experienced before coming to Oberlin, and they are now suddenly forced to deal with the realities of their home situations once again.

The decisions that the College will make regarding whether or not to send students home is also irrevocably intertwined with mental health. For any student with mental health issues, the lack of stability and clear structure in this time can put them at high risk for worsening symptoms. For some students, coming to Oberlin was the first time they could get their mental health needs addressed due to factors such as accessibility, financial constraints, or toxic mental health attitudes at home. There are many students who have home environments that will directly act as severe triggers for their existing mental health issues. These can look like LGBTQ+ -phobias, abuse, exposure to toxic lifestyles, or undue responsibilities, among other things. These students are suddenly out in the cold, and for some, it could be an issue of life or death.

Oberlin cannot fix our home lives, but sending us back there without much warning or support is negligent in some cases. I, and several other Oberlin students, have petitioned to stay on campus due to hardships like these, but we were denied with no opportunity for appeal, or resources to help our dire specific situations in these terrifying times. This is an absolute failure on the part of the College; these problems have to be addressed and acknowledged.

I need to know that someone is working on this. And it’s disappointing, but not surprising, to know that people who are parts of historically marginalized communities are suffering the most right now. Such is the way in any kind of crisis, and this is no exception. If I have learned anything in my first three semesters at Oberlin, it’s that there are populations in our world that are more vulnerable than others, and we as a society should protect them and support them. There’s no shame in asking for help. So I’m asking for help, on behalf of myself and other students who find themselves especially vulnerable in this time, from the school that we all put our personal and financial faith in when we enrolled to live and learn at Oberlin.

Volume 149, Number 18

EdItOrIal BOard EdItOrS-IN-ChIEf

Nathan Carpenter

Katherine MacPhail

MaNagINg EdItOr Ananya Gupta

OPINIONS EdItOr Jackie Brant

As COVID-19 Brings Fear, Disruption, Obies Rally to Support Community This is an uncertain, difficult, and frightening time. Every member of our community is scrambling to make sense of the necessary yet difficult decisions that have been made by College administrators. This is not easy, and it’s okay to be scared. At a time when many of the members of our community are sharing anxieties — and holding close their friends and family members — the most important thing that we can do is support and take care of one another.

Much like our peer institutions, the College is following protocols and best practices that public health and other government officials have developed to mitigate the expansion of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in deciding to cancel classes, send students home, and shift to a remote campus model. Moving forward, the Review will not publish in print for any duration of time that Oberlin operates as a remote campus. We will publish online on a rolling basis instead of our regular Friday schedule, so check our website regularly for updates.

While some students have expressed reasonable frustration with the decision, the short timeframe with which students are being expected to vacate College housing, and the detrimental impact that the decision will have on organizing in support of the United Automobile Workers union, it is clear to us — from all angles — that this was the right call to make.

Studies show that “social distancing” is effective in mitigating the spread of diseases in general, and is a recommended practice to help contain spread of COVID-19. For Oberlin, this means preparing to shift to a remote campus. Although these are serious measures, we firmly believe that Oberlin and other institutions are making the right choice in taking these precautions. The College must protect all of Oberlin’s residents, even if that means disrupting our regular lives. Certainly, the transition won’t be smooth and it will create steep challenges for many students — but it’s difficult to imagine navigating a global pandemic seamlessly.

Another important factor we must consider in the College’s decision to shift to a remote campus is the threat that a COVID-19 outbreak on campus could pose to the broader Oberlin community. The town would likely struggle to support an outbreak of the virus at such a scale. An outbreak of such a contagious virus would almost certainly stretch the resources of the College, local health care providers, and the city past their capacity. While it’s true that sending students to their homes across the country is also a difficult choice that poses other risks, the College has had to balance these concerns against one another. The fact remains that Oberlin simply does not have the infrastructure to manage such an outbreak. With students living in tight quarters in dorms and coming into contact with hundreds of other people every day, allowing an outbreak to occur would be irresponsible.

Currently, the College is working swiftly to move students off campus earlier than they originally anticipated. At the time of publication, the process for students petitioning to remain in on-campus housing has not been fully revealed. While we understand the need for the College to prioritize social distancing, we would also urge administrators to protect international students and other vulnerable groups by ensuring that they are provided housing.

As students, faculty, and staff members consider the uncertain future of our education and community, we recognize those who are working to respond to this upheaval in the best ways possible. Faculty have been presented with the unique challenge to develop new, innovative classes in the second module in an incredibly short time frame. We applaud them for their dedication to our education.

Similarly, students have drawn together to support each other in inspiring ways. This weekend, while students rush to pack up their belongings, they are also planning rides to drive early voters to the polls this weekend. Most impressively, students have organized a mutual aid Google sheet to provide housing, transportation, food, storage, mental health support, and other assistance to students in need. These are the acts of kindness and generosity that will help pull us through this moment.

Lastly, to the graduating students who may have to say goodbye to this home far too early — this College is a stronger community because of your contributions to it. This graduating class has seen many challenging moments throughout their College careers — from the Gibson’s protests their first year to the Academic and Administrative Program Review and the One Oberlin process, and ending with the disruptions caused by COVID-19. Throughout all of these challenges, these students have remained committed to the values that brought them into this institution.

We are reminded at this moment of our first editorial of the academic year, when we were struck by the remarkable consistency, focus, and compassion that Obies displayed throughout what was a challenging summer (“In Face of Adversity, Obies Keep On Keepin’ On,” Sept. 6, 2019). Even as we stare down one of the most significant global public health crises of our lives, we trust that this class, as well as returning students, will carry that same strength and dedication that they have shown throughout their years at Oberlin — and the bonds that they have forged here — into the world.

Editorials are the responsibility of the Review Editorial Board — the Editors-in-Chief, Managing Editor, and Opinions Editor — and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff of the Review.

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COVID-19 BY T

Layout and Text by Nico Vickers, This Week Editor Graphs by Katie Lucey, News Editor

137,456

69,643 5,074

the US

5

12

Recovered

0

Recovered

40

Deaths

0

Deaths

1,701

Ohio*

Data collected from Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, accessed March 13 at 11 a.m. *The Hill, accessed March 13 at 11 a.m.

At the time of publication, the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19 has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization — which means that this disease has spread across the globe. Although many patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered, this dangerous virus has spurred people to take serious safety measures across the nation. Oberlin follows the example of many other institutions of higher education in its decision to shift to a remote campus.

THE NUMBERS

The Review is aware that many students are going home to regions that may pose greater risk for COVID-19 than Oberlin. With that in mind, it is important for us all to understand who is most at risk, how to protect those people, and how to keep ourselves healthy in the wake of this crisis.

Who is most at risk

How this is spreading

The people more likely to contract this disease and suffer serious complications are - Older adults, typically 61 or older, - Individuals who have compromised immune systems, - People with chronic health conditions such as diabetes, lung conditions, and heart disease, - Individuals in areas with rampant spread, which can include congested living environments or places where the virus has already been detected.

-From person to person within six feet.

Many people, especially younger adults, can spread the disease before exhibiting symptoms themselves.

-Via coughs and sneezes.

-Via infected surfaces or objects, though this is rare.

How we stay safe

If you think you may be sick

- Try to obtain appropriate medical equipment and medication in case the virus affects your community unexpectedly.

- Avoid crowds and large gatherings of people as much as possible.

- Wash your hands frequently, and regularly disinfect frequently touched objects like your keyboard, phone, doorknobs, et cetera.

- Along with the people close to you, create a plan for isolation and care if you or others fall ill.

- Be aware that early symptoms can include a fever, cough, and shortness of breath.

- Call your doctor before seeking medical attention.

- Stay home until you are instructed by a health professional to leave. Many people with this virus can recover from home without complications.

- If your illness is worsening, call for help immediately. More severe symptoms include chest pain, confusion, and bluish lips or face.

Thank you Oberlin, for an excellent, yet brief year of being a staffer on your paper of record. I wish you the best of luck in these difficult times, and I encourage you to reach out to those around you for support while things are uncertain and complicated. Take care.

A r t s & C u lt u r e

ARTS & CULTURE March 13, 2020

Established 1874

Volume 148, Number 18

Canceled Productions: Art in a Time of COVID-19 Aly Fogel Arts & Culture Editor The night before Così fan tutte was scheduled to open this past Wednesday, the entire cast, crew, orchestra, creative team, and every voice faculty member gathered on the stage of Hall Auditorium as Dean of the Conservatory William Quillen officially announced that the opera would be closed to the general public.

The show must go on — even if the audience is banned from attending.

Aside from the two tickets that every cast member is allowed to give friends and family, Hall Auditorium will be empty as the show is performed. The audience, instead, will be watching the show from computers or TV screens as it is livestreamed tonight at 8 p.m.

In the age of COVID-19, the question we are all forced to ask is a new version of “If a tree falls ...”: If a production is performed in front of a small-to-absent audience, is it really a show at all?

“There is a magical and energizing relationship between audience and performers,” wrote Conservatory fifth-year

Tori Tedeschi Adams, who plays Despina in Così fan tutte. “I do not believe that this will be lost just because our audience will be mostly virtual.”

When it was still a possibility that classes would continue on campus after Spring break, the Multicultural Resource Center remained optimistic that they could livestream Colors of Rhythm tonight.

“The excitement and significance for this show is too great to just cancel, especially amidst the current climate,” Assistant Director of the MRC, Iliana Velez, wrote in a statement to the Review on Wednesday. “We’re prepared to deliver a meaningful performance for the community.”

Following the decision to send students home this Monday, Colors of Rhythm has been canceled. The decision to switch to remote classes means productions like these, as well as senior recitals, plays, and musicals will never make it to the stage.

OBurlesque’s Spring show scheduled for Tuesday, March 17 has also been canceled. Productions scheduled for the rest of this semester that will never be performed include Oberlin Musical Theater

Association’s Oklahoma!, Oberlin Student Theater Association’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, OSTA’s Roots, the annual Spring Back show, and many more.

Students have spent nearly every day of the semester in rehearsal for Oberlin Theater Department’s mainstage Peter and the Starcatcher, which was set to open in April. As of Thursday morning, the cast was still called to rehearsal and planned to be off-book by March 17 — all of which came to a halt after receiving the latest news about remote classes.

“It was my first mainstage production [in a] leading role,” said College fourthyear Amy Wang, who was cast to play Molly in Peter and the Starcatcher. “I was very excited to be, at least in my four years of Oberlin, the first Asian leading role in a mainstage production.”

In the Conservatory, students face canceled senior recitals scheduled for later in the semester. There are no answers as to how this special moment in a Conservatory student’s education could be replaced, though Quillen has sent emails confirming that this degree requirement will not

impact student’s ability to graduate.

Performance-based classes in the Conservatory and College are more difficult to hold via Zoom than lecture-style courses. Many music, visual arts, acting, and dancing classes will need to be completely reworked or replaced with new classes entirely.

“We do not know yet in what form classes and performances will resume after spring break,” wrote Chair of Theater Caroline Jackson Smith in an email to the department. “In the meantime, we are working hard to problem-solve and develop alternatives for traditional classes and performances.”

While we don’t have many answers, what we can do is adapt. Wang explained that, in China, movie theaters have shut down because of the outbreak; now, movies are screened in collaboration with TikTok. She hopes that artists will find creative alternatives during this time.

“Maybe because of these challenges we face, we might come up with something that is more sustainable in the future and resilient to stuff like this,” Wang said.

Margarita Nights: An Old Student Tradition Meets a New Location Pearse Anderson

Editor’s Note: All students quoted in this article are of legal drinking age.

Do you prefer your margaritas frozen or on the rocks? Is your favorite flavor the original lime, or an option like peach, watermelon, or mango? These are the questions I asked the crowded tables at Lupitas Mexican Restaurant, a downtown Oberlin joint known for its lacquered booth murals, reasonably priced enchilada platters, and, most of all, Marg Night. A staple among College students, Marg Nights are every Tuesday and Thursday until 10 p.m., and Lupitas customers can buy an original margarita for $1 or flavored for $2.

For this article, I added another question to the list: do you prefer Catrina’s Marg Night, or Lupitas?

Starting just a few weeks ago, Catrina’s Tacos y Margaritas, a Mexican restaurant on West College Street, has advertised its own version of $1 Margarita Night, offered not just Tuesdays and Thursdays, but every night. This was not designed to duel with Lupitas Marg Night, especially given that both restaurants have the same owner. Catrina’s Marg Night, which started this semester, is still finding its footing, getting the word out, and trying to attract customers, given that its location is closer to campus. Catrinas offers a less crowded option than Lupitas, which is usually packed on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

“Usually you can’t get a seat,” College fourth-year Elia Lara said about Lupitas Marg Night. “It’s part of the experience. I think my favorite Marg Nights are the ones where I know somebody at almost every booth, and part of it is that you stay in your booth but you also run around and go say hi, and people merge. I had a table [that] changed three different times — the [group of ] people [that was] there kept growing and changing.”

These warm memories are reminiscent of Dascomb’s Fourth Meal, where late-night bands of friends mingled with adjacent booths and flash-fried food. Lupitas Marg Night squeezes more people even tighter into the 15 available tables and four bar seats. Sometimes, ten people sit in booths made for half that number, with stragglers sitting on the windowsill or on pulled-up chairs. Logistically, this can get difficult as conversations get buried in the mass of friends and tables run out of extra chairs. Catrina’s is a quieter, more personable space with high ceilings, long tables, and a couple of booths of its own, but this quietness could mean running into fewer friends.

8

Margaritas on the rocks at Lupitas Mexican Restaurant during their Marg Night special.

“I guess people go to Marg Night to have a time and meet people, but I go because I just want to have a drink and sit, which is why I don’t go to Marg Night at Lupitas,” College fourth-year Jacey Davidson, explained in her decision to go to Catrina’s. “Lupitas is very socially intense.”

At both Marg Nights, guests paid attention to the smallest details, such as the plastic cups Lupitas uses to serve their margaritas, compared to the nicer glassware Catrina’s offered. Sometimes at Lupitas, guests get a plastic goblet instead of a tumbler. Everyone I talked to agreed: they want a little plastic goblet, as a treat.

Catrina’s is still learning the ropes; this past Tuesday was the busiest Marg Night ever, and they went through four glass types, finally serving margs inside clay pots.

Catrina’s and Lupitas have other differing details as well. Lupitas has better chips, Catrina’s has better salsa; Lupitas plays better tunes; Lupitas has classic murals and paintings, while Catrina’s has nailed the Dia de los Muertos aesthetic.

As for marg options: Most Lupitas and Catrina’s guests went for original lime margs on the rocks, the $1

Photo by Pearse Anderson

classic, for the taste, easy alcohol calculus, and ability to “crush it” without getting a brain freeze. At Lupitas, I tried a mango-flavored marg on the rocks which made the usually watery, slightly sour drink three times as sweet with a kick of mango at the end. At Catrina’s, guests basked in the sweetness and hidden alcohol content of the lime margs, comparing them to yellow Gatorade or a melted popsicle.

“If you were to give me this [marg] at a soccer game … I’d say, ‘Thank you for this great rehydrating beverage with electrolytes.’” College third-year Nikki Lewitt said, reflecting on the near-imperceptible alcohol content.

While it’s difficult to replace the tradition of Lupitas Marg Night, there’s no harm in adding another restaurant to the party, especially one as intimate and fun as Catrina’s. Given how Lupitas Marg Night often fills 15 tables with more than 4 people each, future Marg Nights might fall under the category of “large-scale public and co-curricular events that attract more than 50 people” that Oberlin College may advise students to skip. In that case, Catrina’s could be a great second choice to drink away your woes.

Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic, OCSA Program Seeks to Promote Open Dialogue Jaimie Yue Arts & Culture Editor As novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19, continues to spread worldwide, global populations have responded with fear, anger, and despair. However, amid these emotional reactions, it is easy to forget the need for open communication, especially on campus. Oberlin’s Chinese Student Association seeks to change that with their program “CSA @ AMAM: Culture, Life, and Family Bonding in the Context of Coronavirus” at the Allen Memorial Art Museum today. Event attendees pre-registered for the program, which is capped at 40 people.

Today’s program is not the first College event related to COVID-19. On Feb. 13, OCSA hosted a candlelight vigil at Asia House to commemorate those who have died from the virus and pray for Wuhan. (“Join OCSA in Coronavirus Support,” The Oberlin Review, Feb. 28, 2020).

College third-year and OCSA Chair Wenling Li, along with College first-year and OCSA member Latifa Tan, observed the worldwide anxiety and sadness surrounding the pandemic. However, they wanted to approach the topic from an angle that focused less on death. They approached the Allen’s Curatorial Assistant for Office of Academic Programs Emma Laube, OC ’17, and Assistant Curator of Academic Programs Hannah Kinney about creating an exhibition about historical diseases and disasters, but exhibitions require years of planning, and Li and Tan needed to address these issues now. Laube and Kinney then suggested using the Allen for a gallery-based program where students could engage with works of art that deal with loss, epidemics, and familial bonds, as well as have an open discussion about COVID-19.

“Everyone has different reactions to these artworks, and you can interpret [them] in very different ways,” Li said. “So we feel like art could be a more indirect but still very meaningful tool for us to talk about the coronavirus.”

More specifically, Kinney explained that artwork is a reflection of the artist, but it is up to the viewer to decide what to take away from it.

“Works of art are manifestations of people’s minds, their hearts and their labor, right?” Kinney said. “They are embodiments of a person or culture of a moment.

They are not removed from all the things that were happening at that moment. And so recognizing the human in these works, or recognizing someone else’s thoughts are here for us to contemplate, for me is a really powerful thing about what it means to teach with works of art. …

We’re not going to be the voice that’s telling you the history of these works of art, but instead saying this is a place in which we can think about these questions together.”

From a larger selection of pieces, Li and Tan chose four artworks that they believed best fit the needs of students.

One of these works is a lithograph by Chinese-American artist Hung Liu titled “Needlework, from the Corcoran 2005 Print Portfolio: Drawn to Representation.” One issue that Li wanted to highlight was Chinese social me-

dia’s focus on male medical professionals working on the frontline over the predominantly female nurses. Hung Liu’s piece features a woman engaged in needle point, an intimate portrait of domestic life and labor.

In “Three Sisters” by Chinese artist Hai Bo, two gelatin silver print photographs feature the sisters side-byside when they are young, and again when they are older.

However, the second photo only has two sisters, and the viewer notices the third sister’s absence immediately.

“You are kind of put in the speculative role a little bit and [are] prompted to think about different modes of remembrance for loved ones,” Laube said.

While these works deal with more universal themes, certain works have become more relevant, and tragically so, in the wake of COVID-19. One of the selected works is a series of immaculate Qing dynasty rank badges, done in embroidered satin and silks. As the museum wall text explains, “In the border around the badge the longevity symbol … alternates with lucky bats. Because one Chinese word for bat (fú 蝠) sounds like the word for good fortune (fú 福), bats were popular motifs for wishing luck.”

Now, these symbols of longevity are being vilified due to claims that the virus originated in bats. Many, including white Americans, are using bats and COVID-19 to disparage Chinese cuisine, eating habits, and even society.

Salon reported that Fox News host Jesse Watters made the racist claim that Chinese people are “eating raw bats and snakes” because the Chinese government does not have enough resources to feed its starving citizens — and that this was the reason for the pandemic. Not only is this claim unfounded, but it builds upon outdated history that perpetuates the image of China as a less modernized and “civilized” country than Western nations.

While Watters’s claim may appear to just be a typical overreaction from a conservative news network, this kind of misinformation can be powerful and widespread, and it is easily warped into a tool to spread racism. College first-year Heewon Seo, an international student from South Korea, described how she overheard several white people at the Social Security Office in Lorain County discussing how the Chinese eat bats “over there” with no consideration for the Asian individuals in the room.

“I feel like this anti-Asian sentiment is coming from the dramatic numbers and stories that people hear on the news,” Seo added in an email to the Review. “The Western tabloids do not touch on how different Asian countries are responding to the pandemic. For example, Korea implemented a law for buying masks, as to prevent people from hoarding them. Yes, it is true that the situation is not ideal, but Asian countries are working towards curbing the virus. I hope people take this into consideration before making assumptions and or targeting comments.”

To that point, Li emphasized that blaming the Chinese is especially unproductive because COVID-19 may not even be a Chinese virus.

“The outbreak of coronavirus started in China, but there is no evidence showing that the virus is actually from China,” Li added.

She also further explained the complicated social tensions surrounding bats and Chinese cuisine.

“Bats [were] traditionally implying something positive and something good,” she said. “[But they are] now turning into a totally different implication because they are regarded as where the virus originally came from. There are also very complicated socioeconomic factors with it because bats are considered as a luxury food in China.”

Other students of Asian descent weighed in on how COVID-19 is enabling more explicit anti-Asian sentiment, including how it manifests in Asian and Asian-American people themselves. College first-year Christina Mariani, who is a Chinese adoptee, described how COVID-19 impacted her usual Lunar New Year gathering with other Chinese adoptees. White parents projected their fears and biases about the Chinese onto their ethnically Chinese children, even if unintentionally. They even discussed eating Italian food instead of Chinese, despite it being a Lunar New Year celebration.

“My mom didn’t want me to talk about my internship in Chinatown because she was worried [the other parents] wouldn’t want to be around me,” Mariani wrote in an email to the Review. “Unfortunately, most of the adults spent the dinner talking about the virus … and I saw this fear reflected in their own children who are ethnically Chinese, despite being raised in white families. A lot of them make self-deprecating jokes about them being a virus, and their parents don’t tell them otherwise. So as an older sister-type figure, it really pains me to see them go through that and not have someone around everyday to tell them, ‘Being Chinese does not equal being a disease.’”

While Li emphasized that she felt that Oberlin was a safe space for her — safe enough for her to host the Allen program — racist incidents are not isolated to any one location. Li herself experienced discrimination during her Winter Term project in Chicago, where she was harassed and told to “go back to China” while wearing a face mask on the subway.

With the rapid spread of misinformation and racism, ongoing dialogue is critical not only to curb further incidents, but also to give people an outlet to express their fears, anger, and disappointment. Laube and Kinney hope that the Allen can provide that space, away from the academic buildings on campus, for all students to reflect and rejuvenate.

“I think in this situation where there’s a lot of feelings going on — nerves, anxiety — the museum can really become a place of solace,” Kinney said. “It can create a place where you can come and contemplate, where you can think with other people, where you can feel with other people. … When the Chinese Student Association came to us, it was clear that they needed a space to have this conversation and to process these emotions, and the museum is a unique place to do that.”

Above all, despite pervasive fear and feelings of helplessness, no disaster is a reason to assign blame on anyone.

“Just be nice to everyone — the virus isn’t an excuse for racism,” Seo wrote. “Nothing is.”

COMIC Athina Apazidis Staff Cartoonist

The Oberlin Review | March 13, 2020

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A r t s & C u lt u r e ON THE RECORD

Amer Hasan, Third-year Conservatory Clarinetist

Conservatory third-year Amer Hasan is now the clarinet finalist for the 2020 Yamaha Young Performing Artists Competition. Hasan’s mentor is Oberlin Professor of Clarinet Richard Hawkins, who received the same award in 1990.

Hasan now serves as the principal clarinetist for the Akron Symphony Orchestra, teaches clarinet at the Grafton Center of Musical Arts, and has already performed and taught in multiple countries. On good days, Hasan says, he plays the clarinet like it’s a part of his body.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Casey Troost Staff Writer What made the clarinet special for you?

I started playing the clarinet in the fifth grade. The middle school band came to my elementary school, and we got to try out all the instruments. I had always been fond of the clarinet because my mom had played it in high school. I always tried to play with it, but not in a musical way — sort of like a toy. Then when I had the opportunity to play the instrument, I was like, “Oh my god, this is so cool, I get to follow in my mom’s footsteps.” She was still an amateur player, so I never thought I would come this far.

When did you realize the clarinet was going to stick with you?

Compared to all the other subjects I was studying, they were never as fun. I had such a great time playing with other people, both in band and in smaller sectionals. That was my favorite time of fifth grade — when the middle school band director would pull the band kids out of class and the few of us would play together. It was nice to communicate through music, even though it was intermediate.

Does the clarinet still remind you of your mom when you play it?

Yeah, it really does.

Would you consider yourself naturally talented or was it 100 percent work?

I don’t think I’m very talented, to be completely honest. There’s a special connection between me and the instrument. It feels right to play it — it’s almost like an extension of my voice. That feeling helped and made me want to practice more. It started my cycle of improving; I heard myself improving, and I liked the way it sounded, so I’m still continuing.

What is it to have an instrument feel like an extension of your body?

I’m still trying to figure that out because it changes every day. The clarinet is made out of wood, so part of the process is finding a way to make it feel like it really is a part of your body.

Some days it’s great, like when I practice in Robertson Hall or when I’m performing. But sometimes the weather’s bad and my reeds are changing. It can get frustrating.

Has your mentor Richard Hawkins’ methodology been why you’ve tried to adopt the clarinet this way, or is that something you brought to school with you?

It has definitely come from him. Coming into Oberlin, I was struggling with the idea of making it easy, so that it really felt like part of me. Seeing him and hearing his sound sort of put a sound in my ear. He’s an exceptional model for how he can pick up the clarinet and play one of the most beautiful notes I have ever heard in my entire life.

He treats the clarinet like an object as well.

He’s like, “It’s just the clarinet, you should be singing.” If it’s sitting on a music stand, he’ll just pick it up. It’s just a clarinet, right? Then you’re not treating it like it’s a part of your body; you’re treating it like it’s an object, it’s just a tool. There’s these two ideas about it that meld together.

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What was your decision-making process behind your repertoire for your junior recital?

The middle piece in the program is the Weinberg Sonata [for Clarinet and Piano].

It’s a World War II-era piece, and it’s very dark, actually. There’s this really awesome klezmer-inspired second movement in the middle. I’ve always wanted to perform it because I don’t think it’s been performed as much as it should be.

I’m also doing Nielsen’s Humorous Bagatelles. They’re these sarcastic pieces that were originally for piano. They also haven’t been performed a lot.

Opposite of that, the last piece on my program is a staple in the clarinet repertoire. It’s one of those pieces that a lot of people will play in high school, so it’s not often heard at the college level. I wanted to bring it to the table because it’s overlooked once people get older.

Do you have a certain career in mind?

Right now, I’m playing with the Akron Symphony Orchestra, and so much of the repertoire is music that, if I were to pursue a career in classical music or as an orchestral musician, it would be my entire life. I’d love to play in an orchestra, and that’s the most financially stable option for a musician. I also absolutely love chamber music, and I definitely want to teach because music has such a profound impact on my life — it would be a shame if I didn’t pass it on. I’m still not entirely sure what life has in store after graduation, but I know that the clarinet will stay with me, and I’ll find my journey after that.

ANSWERS Amer Hasan

Photo courtesy of Alexa Kantor

IN THE LOCKER ROOM

Quidditch Captains Share Their Love for the Sport

For many kids of our generation, growing up, the Harry Potter series was one of the first they had the chance to follow from its first book to its final film. Of all the interesting aspects of the series, one of the most fascinating is the sport of Quidditch. While we Muggles can only dream of soaring through the sky on a broomstick, College fourth-year Haley Gee and her fellow Quidditch captains, College first-year Elian Rubin and College second-year Harper Ross, are not like the rest of us. While all three are incredible students and people, they spend their free time leading the Oberlin Obliviators, the College’s Quidditch team, to success.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Kushagra Kar Production Editor How did you get involved in Quidditch?

Elian Rubin: When I was looking at schools to apply to, I was looking at different clubs. I saw Quidditch, and I thought, “Wow, that’s really cool. I want to do Quidditch.” I started learning more about the sport in general and did research — this was at the end of senior year. And then, at All Roads Lead to Oberlin, I got to actually practice with the team — play in a scrum a little bit.

And that was super fun. Everyone was super nice, and it was a fun day. So, then I got here and they asked, “Are you interested?” and I said, “Yeah.”

Harper Ross: I was a big Harry Potter nerd growing up, and when I found out Quidditch was an actual sport in my senior year of high school, I started specifically looking for colleges that had a Quidditch team available so that I would be able to play. I’m not a super athletic person. And so I was really excited that I was going to be able to play a sport that was based off a fictional sport because I felt like I perhaps didn’t need as much ability.

What kinds of skills or athletic ability are required coming in?

HR: Any amount of skill entering into Quidditch is really fine. The team is able to work with whatever level of skill you’re currently at. I feel like I’ve improved a lot.

ER: For anybody joining the team, whatever level of skill you have, that’s always welcome because the goal is not to be the best: The goal is to improve, whatever that means for someone. I think an aspect of Quidditch that really emphasizes that is the subbing — we sub like hockey. You just run off to the sub box and swap your broom, and another player comes in. So even if you can’t play for a long time, you’re still playing for a little bit. I’ve been helping with the tackling a bit. I think one thing that we’re learning is that the tackling is less about strength and more about technique. It doesn’t really matter how strong you are.

It just matters that you know what the technique is and how to perform that technique. Then, no matter your athleticism, you will be able to tackle someone.

In what way is Quidditch different from regular college sports?

Haley Gee: I mean, for one, most people don’t play Quidditch before they begin college. There are some exceptions of people who have done it at camp or some people who had high school Quidditch teams. Even though you’re coming in with varying hand-eye coordination and abilities like that, I think it evens the playing field a little bit in terms of strategy and knowing how to play. I definitely think that gender inclusivity is a big part of how it affects our experiences.

ER: I think it goes a little bit into the history of the game. It’s a really young sport. People had been trying to make Quidditch in real life for a while. And, in 2007, it was created at Middlebury College in Vermont. It’s very different now from what it was then. … There was a split between people who wanted

Continued from page 12

College fourth-year and Quidditch Team Captain Haley Gee. Photo courtesy of Haley Gee

to pursue the whimsy aspect and people who wanted to pursue the athletic aspect. And so it’s a lot more athletic now. The Snitch used to be able to go off pitch. They could use water balloons, and you had to wear a cape. It used to be really silly, and now it’s more sporty.

But even thinking about that split, that’s only a decade old, So there’s not this long history or all of these strategies that have been constantly refined with other sports. Strategies keep on getting adopted, and they evolve based on stuff now because it’s really young. I think that’s different from other sports.

How has Quidditch impacted your time at Oberlin?

HR: For me, Quidditch was one of the first — I think it was the first — extracurricular that I had routinely built into my schedule when I first showed up at Oberlin. ... There was always this group that genuinely cared about me and wanted to be around me. That was just a really refreshing and awesome support system built right in. That really took away the worries of finding out where I was going to fit in off of my shoulders.

COVID-19 Cuts OC Varsity Seasons Short Continued from page 12

Delaney Black shared similar sentiments.

She had prepared for the possibility of travel cancelations over spring break, but did not realize that her entire season was in jeopardy.

“We talked about having our spring break canceled so we wouldn’t be going anywhere else, but I never expected to need to leave campus,” she said.

Dill was saddened to know that her and her teammates’ hard work would never have the opportunity to be translated to the field.

“It’s devastating news obviously — it’s devastating for everyone, not just to fourth-years,” she said. “We’re not going to get the chance to play with our firstyears, who we became close to. The coaches put in all this work all offseason.

We worked our butts off all year to create good team chemistry and to create a winning team. And now we don’t get to see the results take place on the field.”

When asked about the fact that this week is possibly the last of their collegiate careers, many fourth-years became emotional.

“I feel like I’ve put in four years of work to not really get the opportunity to see what I can do now,” said Black.

“The idea that I won’t get a senior day, and I won’t get to compete with my doubles partner anymore when we’re doing really well in the year, is extremely upsetting.”

The Oberlin Review | March 13, 2020

Zeug focused on the family aspect of the team as something that he is grateful for and will miss.

“The team is my family,” he said. “You can go to a lot of schools, and you don’t have that. Family. You hear a lot about people fighting in the locker room, or of people just thinking about themselves, but what is so beautiful about this team is that, no matter what virus is going around, I will have brothers forever and friends forever.”

First-Years Lose Collegiate Debut With fourth-years missing out on their last collegiate season, first-year spring athletes are also at a loss, as they have not had the opportunity to apply their preseason practice and hard work to actual games.

Once both the New England Small College Athletic Conference and the Ivy League canceled their spring seasons, nerves began to set in — especially given that, historically, Oberlin almost always follows in NESCAC’s footsteps.

College first-year and men’s lacrosse player Ben Hicks felt “robbed,” and expressed “wanting so much more from this season.”

With this being said, many athletes are understanding of the situation and are hopeful to know that they have more years ahead in their careers. This includes College first-year and tennis

Music Holds Strong Place in Sports Culture

player Dina Nouaime, who has had a successful start to her collegiate career, going 5–3 in singles and 7–6 in doubles, and has been playing as the number 1 seed for the team.

“It feels a bit stressful and disappointing to potentially be losing my first collegiate season, but I feel fortunate to have three more opportunities to come,” she said.

Looking Forward With most spring sports looking like they would have been eligible to qualify for the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament, many see the end of the 2020 season as disappointing.

While many athletes are leaving their seasons feeling defeated, Zeug highlighted one of the more positive aspects of the recent news, which is that everyone is in it together, and the beauty of all sports is that they are unpredictable.

“I feel for all the other athletes out there in the country — I’m not alone in that,” he said. “It feels like it was just so rushed. I wasn’t ready to have that nostalgia. I sat on the field for a long time in my uniform and let it hit me — that’s the last time I could play on Bailey. It’s horrible. But you know, it being horrible is how it has to end sometimes. That’s why we play sports, right? It’s always uncertain, and for the people playing, that makes it beautiful.”

to ignore the rest of the world because the rest of the world doesn’t matter. From that first line that Ntia mentioned to the end of the song’s two minute, 15 second run time, “Shimmy” is the kind of music that you make a stank face to. It’s the type of song you listen to on the train when you don’t want to be disturbed. It gives you power that others can see and feel. This is my personal favorite on this list, and I’m adding it to several of my personal playlists. I encourage you to do the same.

“Cheeki Breeki” by Starslav feat.

Dimitri4k “‘Cheeki Breeki,’” said Edell. “Easy.”

This was easily the most obscure song that was mentioned to me. I listened to it on repeat for five minutes before I Googled it.

I don’t know what I was looking for, but I didn’t find it. As best as I can tell, it is a song that was inspired by a phrase popularized by a Russian first-person shooter game, but I could be way off. I have several questions about this song, but its upbeat tempo has me ready to run. I feel like this would be a great song for any activity that requires a lot of movement. Unencumbered by silly things like lyrics or mainstream recognition, “Cheeki Breeki” is my sleeper pick for best hype song on this list.

“Dreams and Nightmares”

by Meek Mill I don’t know if there’s been a professional sports team in recent years whose players wore their heart on their sleeve and showed the public their personality more than the 2017–2018 Philadelphia Eagles. They were a cultural phenomenon like no other. They were brash and relished the idea that they were villains, even when they were widely accepted as America’s team headed into the Super Bowl. Part of this attitude came from the way they embraced the city of Philadelphia and the way the city embraced them. The Eagles were attitude personified.

That’s what this song is.

It will forever be tied to that team, and I don’t think Meek Mill would want it any other way. It builds slowly, and you build with it. When the tonal shift happens in the middle of the song, you shift with it. You, Meek, and the entire city of Philadelphia are united at that moment. Some consider “Dreams and Nightmares” to be an underdog anthem. It was when it came out, but now, I associate it with triumph. The Eagles won that Super Bowl. Meek Mill is a massive success. Listen to this song, and you will be too.

“We Are The Champions” by Queen This. This song may have invented the concept of hype music. I’d be doing everyone a disservice if I left it off the list.

There is just something so grand about this song. The drums, the guitars, the vocals.

Everything works perfectly. You can listen to it anywhere, at any time, and be inspired to greatness. Yes, it’s overplayed. I don’t care. It’s a masterpiece.

Although these songs were all pitched by athletes or are extremely popular in athletic circles, they are not exclusively for these groups. Whether you just want some fresh tunes for your workout or you had grown bored of your “Songs To Cry To” playlist, you can incorporate these songs into your everyday life. I think they all have a ton of merit. It’s a trying time for everyone. Why not at least hear some new music? And, at the very least, wash your hands.

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SPORTS March 13, 2020

Established 1874

Volume 148, Number 18

Hype Music You Can Wash Your Hands To Khalid McCalla Sports Editor

The baseball team, one of many sports teams to have their spring seasons canceled.

Photo courtesy of OC Athletics

Seasons Canceled Amid COVID-19 Outbreak Zoë Martin del Campo Contributing Sports Editor Zoe Kuzbari Senior Staff Writer The novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19, has severely impacted the everyday lives of people around the world.

As the virus continues to spread around the U.S., efforts have been made to minimize exposure risks by colleges and universities, including by the College’s Department of Athletics and Physical Education. Throughout the week, the College has released various plans outlining COVID19’s potential impact on competition and training for spring sports. It was announced late Thursday afternoon that the remainder of Oberlin’s 2020 spring sports season was canceled effective immediately.

National Context COVID-19’s global impact on collegiate athletics has created a ripple effect around the nation. On Thursday, NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors canceled the Division I men’s and women’s 2020 basketball tournaments, as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships.

This cancelation directly impacted the four Oberlin women’s track and field athletes who traveled to North Carolina this week to compete in the NCAA championships, only to find that the competition was canceled the day before.

College fourth-year Naeisha McClain was frustrated with the lack of communication between NCAA officials and student-athletes. While McClain was supposed to compete on Saturday, her teammates were set to compete today. When news of the cancelation broke, athletes from schools around the country were already in North Carolina and ready to compete. This led to emotional responses from many athletes as they realized their last chance of national competition was taken away. McClain was hoping to earn her second All-American, an opportunity she will never have again.

“For the past two years I’ve battled to get back to nationals, taking whatever punches were thrown at me along the way,” McClain said. “ It seems like no one thought of us when they made this decision. Why have us come to North Carolina, have us practice today, only to turn around and cancel it? We deserve better.”

Multiple Division-I conferences, including the American Athletic Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 10, Big 12, Big East, Pac-12, and Southeastern Conference, have also canceled their conference tournaments.

In addition to derailing collegiate sporting events, COVID-19 has also impacted professional sports events.

This past week, the NBA suspended its season after two Utah Jazz players tested positive for COVID-19 in Oklahoma City.

“The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of tonight’s schedule of games until further

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notice,” read the NBA’s statement in response. “The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.”

General Plan For Athletic Programs The decision to cancel the rest of the spring season was not made lightly. The day before, athletes expected to remain on campus during spring break with a “no spectators” policy in effect.

However, as the public health crisis progressed, it became apparent that this pandemic would continue to spread and put players and coaches at further risk. In a statement released on GoYeo, the official athletic site of Oberlin College, Delta Lodge Director of Athletics and Physical Education Natalie Winkelfoos highlighted the impact of this decision on not only spring athletes, but also athletic staff.

“Our institution’s competitive advantage will always be the care we provide to our students during challenging times,” she wrote. “With the announcement of our spring sports season coming to an end, our athletics staff is devastated for the loss of time we get to spend with our student-athletes on our playing fields, courts and track — our favorite classrooms on campus.”

All athletes are now expected to leave campus along with the rest of the student body. The change in policy has created challenges for some students who cannot return home or travel to another off-campus location given the limited time frame.

Given these difficulties, some athletes have opened their homes to their teammates. College fourth-year and softball team Captain Alexis Dill was proud of how her teammates have stepped up and continued to support each other at all times.

“One of my teammates can’t go home right now, so they’re going home with another teammate for the time being,” she said. “It goes to show how much of a family we all are; we’re always there for each other. And it’s not just our team. The athletic community, especially spring athletes, have really rallied to support each other during this time.”

Seniors Express Sadness In light of recent events, the spring athletes preparing to graduate have been faced with challenging news: Not only will they miss the rest of their season, but they will also miss events that they have been looking forward to for the past three years: Senior Night, Commencement, and Senior ’Sco. College fourth-year and Men’s Lacrosse captain Erik Zeug was expecting adjustments to the season, but he was surprised to learn that he would be playing his last collegiate game this week.

“I think we expected some kind of blowback,” he said.

“We’ve expected some adjustments, but I can’t lie to you and say we expected what we’re looking at right now. It’s pretty devastating.”

College fourth-year and Women’s Tennis Captain See COVID-19, page 11

Life is chaotic right now, and everyone is handling the turmoil in their own way. For many athletes, chaos comes with the territory of competition. Whether it’s psyching themselves up for an early morning practice or getting themselves ready for a big game, athletes across all sports consistently find ways to navigate chaos and manage stress.

One of the most common ways to do this is through music. Hype music, as it is typically referred to, is an integral part of many athletes’ preparation for competition. More recently, music is being championed as a way to teach people how to wash their hands in this trying time.

Below are some of the best, most unique, and most classic hype songs, according to me, your friendly neighborhood sports editor, and several College athletes.

“I’m Shipping Up To Boston” by Dropkick Murphys “I wouldn’t call it the weirdest, definitely more unique though,” said College second-year and football player Chris Allen. “It’s this Irish war song that [College fourth-year] JT Godfrey often played. It was definitely a change of pace for me, but it still did the job.”

Although I initially thought this song would be foreign to me, its first notes were immediately familiar. When competing, it’s important for an athlete to fear nothing. This is the song for that.

Truly, I don’t think I could tell you any lyrics to this song off the top of my head aside from the chorus, but this song coursed through my veins as it slipped through my ears. It’s the first song I’ve listened to for this piece, and it’s got me super psyched to write the rest. In short, Allen was spot on. It does the job.

“Boss B***h” by Doja Cat “I like Doja Cat,” said College third-year and men’s lacrosse player Joey Edell. “I try to rely on preparation [and] tend to tune [music] out mostly and focus on the game, unless Doja Cat comes on.”

Doja Cat is definitely a more mainstream artist than Dropkick Murphys, so I was familiar with her work before speaking to Edell. That being said, I’d never really considered her a hype music producing artist. Boy, was I wrong. “Boss B***h,” off the Birds of Prey soundtrack, has me ready to take on the world. Similar to “I’m Shipping Up To Boston,” it gives me the feeling that I can do anything. The difference between the two is that “I’m Shipping Up To Boston” makes me feel like I’m indestructible. Nothing on the outside can hurt me. Listening to “Boss B***h,” I feel invincible, inside and outside. No weapon formed against me shall prosper.

I’m a Boss B***h.

“Shimmy” by Aminé “The most unique song for me is ‘Shimmy’ by Aminé,” said College second-year and men’s track and field athlete Zac Ntia. “The first line gets me super excited and puts a smile on my face.”

This is a good time to discuss the different ways a song can elevate to the level of hype song. Some, like the two I’ve already covered, get you ready for any challenge that may come your way. Others put your mind at ease, allowing you to focus on the task at hand. Then, there are songs like “Shimmy.”

Songs that give you an attitude. Songs so full of ego and confidence that they spill out of your headphones and into your body, getting you ready See Music, page 11